Ancestors of Mortals Past
by KiwiCactus
Summary: Juliette's world is turned upside down when a group of men covered in strange tattoos break into her home and kidnap her. Her life becomes even more complicated when two alluring boys rescue her and help her try to rescue her best friend. During the rescue she finds herself transformed and must discover herself and her past in order to save her friends, innocents and London.
1. Chapter 1

Juliette stood staring up at the old church that sat on Fleet street. It sat back from the bustling London roads. It was strange to still be standing amongst the modern buildings of London, but it seemed that it had been there for hundreds of years and wasn't going anytime soon.  
There was something about the building that kept her eyes fixated, as if there was something below the surface that was yet to be discovered. It was as if there was a hidden beauty beneath the missing bricks and broken stained glass windows.

"Juliette hurry up or we'll be late" Conrad called from further down the street. His crystal blue eyes rested steadily on her, waiting for her to catch up. He ran his fingers through his wavy blonde locks, pushing it out of his eyes.

"You really should get a haircut. You're starting to look shabby" She teased hoping he would forget about dragging her along to his friends gig.

"Oh and destroy my dashing good looks? But then all these beautiful women would miss out." He smirked. He was obviously attractive but Juliette knew that he wasn't really that cocky.  
"God if only women would find you as attractive as you think you are." Juliette's voice was thick with sarcasm.

They continued to walk in silence until they reached an old fashioned pub, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. Juliette smirked. It seemed like the type of place only the old regulars visited on occasion. She wasn't expecting a big turnout for this gig.

Inside wasn't much better. It was dark and everything seemed to be covered in a layer of dust. The walls were adorned with Irish memorabilia.

The pub reminded her of the one she had visited regularly with her father. They had gone to the same pub every Saturday night for dinner and to listen to the live music. She felt a wave of sadness wash over her, she missed him dearly. She sighed and tried to shake the thought of him from her mind. She needed a distraction. She glanced around and realised that they were the youngest in the pub by about 30 years or so, which didn't fill her with excitement as to how the night would progress.

"Conrad, will this be over soon?" she paused hesitantly.  
"I mean I have heard these guys practicing and, I don't mean to be rude but they're not exactly Queen or ABBA." She muttered.

Conrad laughed loudly. She breathed a sigh of relief that he took it so well.  
"It wont take too long. I just promised that we would come to support Ian. It's his bands first gig." He flashed her a crooked smile that would have made any other girl swoon.  
She rolled her eyes and sat down at a booth. Conrad walked to the bar and ordered two beers.

Since her father died, almost a year ago, she had been living with her best friend and his family. She had nowhere else to go. No more family. She had never known her mother, she died when Juliette was very young. Her father had often told her that she reminded him of her. He told her that she had her mother's blue green eyes and her curling brown hair, but he never showed her a picture of her mother.

She often felt alone in the world, like there was nowhere that she belonged anymore, but Conrad had always tried to change that. She couldn't imagine a day in the world without him.

They emerged from the pub over an hour later. Juliette took a deep breath of the evening air. The sun had set and only street lights lit the way.

"Thank god that is over. I hate to say it, but they are truly awful" Conrad laughed as they stood in the street. "I don't have the heart to tell Ian that maybe music isn't his calling".

They walked in silence through the streets of London. It was only until they reached the abandoned church that she had passed earlier that she paused. The wrought iron gates were chained together and an oversized padlock adorned the chains.

There was a symbol on the lock. She moved forwards cautiously and traced the symbol with her finger.

 _Where have I seen this before._ She frowned as she traced it again, lost in thought.

"Juliette what are you doing? What's with you today?" Conrad's voice broke her from within her own mind.

"Where have I seen this symbol before?" she questioned him without looking away from the lock.  
He walked to stand beside her.

"Juliette I didn't think you were such a lightweight on the beer. There is nothing there, now can we go?"

His arm came around her shoulder and guided her away but she couldn't help but feel that symbol calling her, burying into her brain, refusing to be forgotten.  
They reached the small terrace house that Juliette had called home for over a year now. It was plain but homely.

Conrad's mother, Helena, was sitting in the lounge knitting.

"Oh hello dears. Dinner is in the kitchen, help yourselves." Her high pitched voice used to irritate her when she was younger, but now it had become associated with the only motherly figure she had ever had.

"I'm not that hungry. I might just head on up to bed, thank you Helen." Juliette spoke with caution. She knew Helena hated it when she skipped dinner, she thought she was skinny enough as it is.

Her eyebrow raised suspiciously, as it had done on many occasions before. Juliette smiled slightly and snuck off up to her room.

She flopped onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling, remnants of old music posters were hanging down like vines. Helena had tried to take them down when Juliette moved in but whatever her oldest daughter had used to stick them there wasn't letting go any time soon. She had pinned two photos of herself and her father to the wall beside her. They looked happy. Her father was smiling and holding her in his arms, neither of which he had done for many years before he died. Instead he had become reclusive and suspicious. He often didn't leave the house, he stayed locked in his office for days at a time.

She stared closer at the photographs. There it was, the symbol that she had seen on the padlock at the church. It seemed to be burnt into the corner of the sign to the pub that they had regularly visited. It was also in the other photograph on the front of a book.  
She pulled the picture from the wall and ran to Conrad's room. She didn't bother to knock, she burst into the room waving the picture frantically. Conrad spun around frowning. He was shirtless, which exposed his chiselled abdomen.

Juliette blushed and looked away.

"Sorry. I didn't think you'd be... I came to show you this." She stuttered.  
He walked over, not bothering to finish getting dressed. He plucked the photo from her hand and glanced from the photograph to her and back again.

"I have seen this a hundred times before. What's so important?" He questioned carefully.

She turned and pointed to the symbol frantically.

"There, right there, that is the symbol on the padlock of the church. Why would it be on the sign to a pub AND on this book in the only pictures of me and my father?" she paused "It must mean something… right?"

Conrad paused and looked back at the photos.

"Juliette… I think you need to get some sleep." He gently guided her from his room.  
She stood in the hallway confused and gobsmacked that he had just dismissed her so quickly.

She slowly walked into her room and sat on the edge of the bed, it creaked furiously under her weight. Her mind was racing, her thoughts kept leading back to that abandoned church, no matter how hard she tried to push it from her thoughts.

 _Maybe I really am going round the bend._

Juliette lay in her bed, willing sleep to come but it wouldn't. The streets outside were quiet, there was the faint sound of a siren off in the distance, but there was no shouting or cars racing past. It was peaceful. Juliette let her eyes droop and felt sleep trying to creep up on her.  
A crash echoed through the house as the front door flew open, sending splinters of wood flying across the room. She jumped out of bed and stood shivering in the centre of the room.  
She heard the thundering of boots on the floor downstairs but couldn't bring herself to move. A piercing scream cut through the house.

 _Helena.  
_ She ran to grab her coat, as she reached for the door handle the door shot open. Conrad slammed the door behind him. His face was pale and she could see the worry in his eyes.  
"Get everything! Pile it against the door… Hurry." His voice wavered.  
In all the years she had been best friends with him, she had never seen him be afraid of anything. The thought only made her stomach drop. Something had to have been seriously wrong.  
One after the other every piece of furniture in the room was used to create a barrier between themselves and the intruders. Just as she stepped back from the mound of furniture she felt a hard thud.

"They're trying to get in!"

She lurched backwards as the next thud smashed into the door. The furniture wobbled and precariously balanced objects fell to the floor. She gripped Conrad's arm with both hands and tried to breathe. The thudding was coming more and more frequently and what felt like harder and harder. They could hear the angry grunts of the men slamming into the door.  
"what do they want?" her voice cracked and the tears welled up in her eyes.

She had never been more afraid in her life.

Juliette had barely noticed that everything had gone silent. Conrad pulled his arm away from her and watched the door. He guided her behind him protectively. She was too short to see what he was looking at all she could see was the muscles in his back tense as he moved.  
A mumbled shout echoed through the wall.

"MOVE!".  
Before she had the chance to register what had been said the door blasted open. Furniture shattered into pieces and flew across the room.

Conrad pulled her to the ground and sheltered her body with his own. She curled into his arms and buried her face in his chest. It sounded like heavy rain was falling all around them but it felt like knives were being dropped on her bare, exposed skin.

Before she had the chance to look up she felt Conrad be yanked away from.  
"NO!" she shouted before she even had the chance to open her eyes. When she did she wished she hadn't. Three men were standing in front of her, each as terrifying as the next, covered in tattoos and each with muscles bigger than her. They stared down at her with no expressions, their faces were as hard as stone. A tall slender man emerged from behind them, a piece of wood was being elegantly twirled between his fingers. As he neared her she could see that his face was gaunt, his cheeks were hollow and his eyes were a brilliant red brown. His expression was a mix of smug success and buried rage. His long legs crossed the room in three strides and he crouched centimetres from her face.

"Are you Juliette?" his voice was deep and gravelly.

She stared at him in awe and said nothing.

"I believe you have something that belongs to me. Something that I so desperately need."  
"Where's Conrad? Don't you dare hurt him." She whimpered.

The smugness left his face and was replaced by something else, something she couldn't read. He clicked his fingers and a tall dark skinned man walked forwards. The muscles in his arms pulsed as what he was holding struggled.

 _Conrad._  
It looked as though with one small movement the man could snap him in half but he still held a knife to his throat. She gasped and tried to lunge forwards to him. A hand came down hard on her shoulder. It was long and bony, she felt as though her shoulder was wet under its touch. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw that the hand was not ordinary. The had was tight, black and gaunt with what seemed to be bone visible through holes in the skin. It oozed black fluid onto her coat. She couldn't swallow the scream any longer. A sharp pain shot through the side of her head and she could do nothing to stop the darkness from claiming her.


	2. Chapter 2

The floor was cold and smooth where her skin lay exposed. She could hear a faint dripping sound echoing through the dimly lit room. When she opened her eyes her vision was blurred, everything was hazy and dark. She pulled herself up and tried to shake the dizziness away. This only heightened the pain in her head. Her hand went up to her temple and even in the dim lighting she could see that her fingers came away thick with blood.

The walls of the small room were made of thick stone and the door was completely metal except for a small barred window. The only source of light was a small candle sitting on the sink in the corner of the room.

"Hello?"

Her voice bounced off of the walls. There was no reply. She pulled her legs in close to her and hugged them tightly. She heard the dragging of metal as she moved. She looked down at herself and saw a thick metal manacle resting around her ankle. She struggled against it hoping to pull her foot free. She pushed at it and her fingers simply slipped off the metal. She felt the metal dig into her skin through her leggings but she continued to fight it. She tried to pull her foot through the narrow gap but all she achieved was ripping the skin from her foot.

She bit her lip in pain and collapsed against the wall behind her. She wanted to scream but she knew no one would come, she knew that no one was looking for her. She felt helpless and alone. This loneliness was nothing like that she had experienced when her father had died. Now there was a deep emptiness inside her.

She could feel the cold floor stealing what little warmth she had and she couldn't help but let out a small sob. The flicker of light from the candle did nothing to light the room, it only cast dancing shadows on the walls and floor.

The darkness seemed to drag on for hours even days. She had no idea how long she had been held prisoner for and she was still no closer to finding out who had taken her or why they wanted her. There were no windows in the stone prison, she couldn't tell whether it was day or night or how many days had passed.  
Hunger ripped at her insides making her keel over.  
She followed the metal chains to where they were buried into the wall. Her fingers touched a hard object, but it wobbled under her touch.  
 _Water._

 __She hesitated briefly before taking a mouthful. The water was stale but she felt the relief when it touched her lips. She wanted to gulp it all at once but it suddenly dawned on her that there was no way of knowing how long she would have to wait before anyone brought her anything to eat or drink. She could feel dehydration and hunger drawing the strength out of her.

She called out many times while huddled in the corner for warmth. There was never any reply.  
At one point she was convinced she heard shouting and banging but it couldn't be, she had been there so long and had never heard anything other than her own voice and the dripping of the tap.  
She heard the banging noise once again mildly closer than before, but it went silent straight after.

 _I must be going mad._

The banging came again and it was much closer than it had been before and the sound didn't come alone. She heard the clashing of metal on metal and deep grunts.  
She could hear the muffled chatter of people bickering amongst themselves.  
"Hey! In here!" she shouted.  
She crawled as far as her manacles would allow. A bright white light blinded her but lit up everything in its path.  
"Who are you?" a soft voice called to her through the bars of the window.

She shielded her eyes with her hand and saw the outline of a man. She squinted and saw shiny brown hair and a pair of crystal blue eyes staring down at her. She let out a sigh of relief, she didn't register to be any of the men that had broken into her home and taken her away.  
"Please help me. I've been kidnapped."  
She didn't try to hide the desperation in her voice. This was her only hope.  
The man glanced away from her and stared after the fading footsteps.  
"How do I know you're not lying?"  
She inhaled sharply and bit her lip to hold the tears.

"They broke down the doors and they threatened to kill my friend Conrad. I have no idea where he is." She dug her nails into her palms.  
"There were four of them… three were big and muscular, covered in tattoos and the last one was tall, gaunt and terrifying." She shuddered at the thought.

She saw his face change, his eyes widened in recognition.

"Get back"

His face disappeared from the window. She hesitated, fearing that he had left her, but then she crawled backwards. She was suddenly glad she had. The door flew off of its hinges and smashed into the back wall. If there were any of the men from that night around, they would definitely know she was escaping.

The brown haired man crossed the room and crouched down next to her. His face was soft, trustworthy, the only harshness was in his prominent cheek bones. He couldn't have been much older than Juliette. She felt safe, relieved and wanted all in the same moment.

"Let's get you out of here alright?"

He was holding a small metal object in his hand. It looked like a pen but it was thicker and the tip was made out of a beautiful crystal. As she watched he touched it to the manacle around her ankle. He traced what looked like a pattern on the metal and as he pulled away the lines glowed fierce red. Juliettes mouth dropped open, she had never seen anything like it. As she watched the lines faded and as they disappeared she felt the manacle pop. She was free.

"How? What? I don't understand…" she stammered.

He shook his head and took her hand to help her stand. She suddenly felt very dizzy and her head throbbed. Her knees buckled and she felt herself falling. His arms were around her in a flash, swinging her up to be carried. She had never seen anything move as quickly or gracefully before but before she could say anything she felt a wave of sleepiness come over her. She tried to keep her eyes from dropping shut but she knew it was hopeless to fight it.

As he walked through the door to her prison cell she saw shadows approaching. A short slender woman and a dazzling blonde man wearing the same tight black clothing stopped just in front of them.

"What the hell Julian. I didn't realise we were bringing back jailbait."

A frown crossed the woman's face. She heard the man, addressed as Julian, begin to respond but it was lost to the blackness.


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of soft music hung in the air. Juliette could hear it, it was sweet and slow, a beautiful melody. It seemed to call out to her, willing her to wake up.  
Her eyes fluttered open and she stared blankly up at the ceiling for a moment. It was a ceiling she didn't recognise. She glanced around before her eyes found something that seemed vaguely familiar. A man.

"Well look who finally decided to wake up."

He smiled at her from his chair beside the bed. His teeth were bleach white and his face was still just as trusting.  
She had hoped for a moment that the events she could remember were all some horrible dream, but at the sight of this man all hope was lost. It was all real. It had all happened.

"Where am I?"

She looked down at herself and saw that she had been neatly tucked into a bed. A crisp white sheet was covering her and she could see that there were a number of beds like her own.

 _A hospital._

She noticed that all of the other beds were empty and it seemed like there had been no one in any of them for some time. The walls were made of chiselled marble. There were columns and statues, tapestries and artwork. No ordinary hospital had such exquisite décor. This was like no hospital she had ever been in before.

"You're in the infirmary, I found you in a cell. You're safe here." He smiled slightly.

"My friend Conrad… where is he?"

He moved from his seat beside the bed and perched on the edge of the bed.  
She noticed that black tattoos covered almost every inch of exposed skin, they looked almost the same as the ones the men that raided her home had. She felt nervous. What could she have found herself tied up in.

"What is your name?"

He hadn't answered her question and had tried to change the subject. She decided to go along with it hoping that they would take her to Conrad.  
His head tilted to one side. In this lighting he looked like someone out of a movie, too handsome to be true. The light only extenuated his perfect jawline and crystal blue eyes.  
She suddenly realised she had probably been staring at him for too long and looked away. She fidgeted and found herself playing with a frayed seam in the sheet.

"Maybe you should tell me who you are first." She paused. "I mean the last stranger to be in my bedroom did kidnap me and lock me in a prison cell."  
He smirked and glanced down at his hands.

"My name is Julian Ashhurst and I promise no one here will hurt you." he nodded.

She stared up at him for a moment. She was scared to trust this man, but after all he had saved her life. She looked away and watched her fingers twisting a stray piece of cotton absentmindedly.

"Juliette Penrose."  
She looked up and met his eyes but his expression had changed. There was something in his eyes now, a look of disbelief and confusion.

"Wait here… I'll be right back." He patted her leg as he rose from the bed.

He flashed her a smile which she knew was only superficial, it hadn't meant anything other than an attempt to hide what he really felt. He was gone in a flash.  
 _Well done Juliette, the first attractive boy you've met and you scare him off._  
She was even more confused than she had been when men broke into her house. _  
__Conrad._  
She pushed the sheet away and climbed out of the bed. She had been redressed into a hospital gown and her clothes were nowhere to be seen. The thought made her blush. She hadn't seen anyone else around except for Julian, she really hoped someone else had changed her.  
She staggered about the hospital frantically searching for her clothes, or any clothes for that matter.

"Juliette."

He was back. She spun on her heels to tell him to help her but he wasn't alone. A tall slender woman was beside him. She remembered seeing a girl when Julian had rescued her but this wasn't her. That girl was young and her face had been plump. This woman's face was tight and her hair was pulled back into a military style bun. She had the same high cheekbones as Julian but he wore them much better.

"Juliette this is my mother, Ariana Ashhurst."

She crossed the room and sat in a chair and just stared at Juliette with unforgiving eyes.

"Sit."

When she spoke it didn't sound like a suggestion or a request but an order. Juliette moved slowly over to the chair that Ariana had pointed to and sat. She could tell that this woman wasn't one to be trifled with, she meant business.  
The woman said nothing, she simply crossed her legs and tapped her long slender fingers on her knee.  
Juliette's mind suddenly flashed back to the night at her house. The hand that had held her in her bedroom, the hand that wasn't human. She swallowed the urge to scream again and became more fearful of the stern looking woman who was staring her down from across the room. Juliette wasn't sure what she had done to deserve such a piercing glare.  
When Ariana finally spoke, Juliette wished she had kept quiet.

"Your name is Juliette Penrose correct?".

Her voice was like concrete, thick and hard. No emotion crept into her words, her tone was blank.  
Juliette didn't speak, she simply nodded in response.

"And where did you get that name?"

Something crept into Ariana's voice it was a tone that Juliette didn't appreciate. She couldn't place her finger on what it was, accusation, disbelief, hatred they all seemed to apply at this point.  
She frowned.

"What kind of a question is that?"

"Answer it."

"Where do you think I got it? My parents gave it to me obviously."

She was tempted to roll her eyes but she knew such an act would have had this woman climbing across the room to claw her eyes out with her long pointy fingers.  
Julian let out a stifled laugh.

"You're lying. Johnathan Penrose is dead, so is his wife and their child."

Her words hit her in the stomach like a tonne of bricks. How did this woman know her father?

"You're right my father died last year and I never met my mother. But you're clearly not as clever as you think you are." She paused. "because I'm still here."

She had never been this rude to someone before but she couldn't take it any longer. This strange woman had come calling her a liar for being who she was. Who did she think she was?  
Ariana looked taken aback. Clearly no one had ever spoken to her that way before but her shock seemed to be something else.

"Johnathan Penrose died 19 years ago." Her tone had gone from acidic to hollow in a matter of seconds.

"Im the one who had to bury him. I know when he died." Her tone was bitter as she tried to fight the tears that talking of her father always brought.

She touched the pendant around her neck and took a deep breath.  
She noticed Arianas eyes slip from her face to her necklace.  
Her tight, unforgiving expression was dropped and her face just looked blank, like she didn't know what to feel anymore.

"Where did you get that?" she whispered.

Juliette could tell that the question was rhetorical, Ariana's face already said she knew where she had gotten it.  
She felt instantly guilty that she had been so rude to her.  
Juliette looked up from Ariana to Julian. He too was staring down at her, but his face was much softer and comforting. He moved closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I think my mother would like it very much if you would stay here with us. You'll be safe." He smiled reassuringly.

"Where is Conrad? Can I see him?"

She didn't care why Ariana wanted her here, if she knew her father before he died it didn't do her much good, he was dead. He had never mentioned anyone like Ariana or Julian so she assumed they couldn't have been too important. However,  
Julian glanced over to his mother.

"Juliette you were the only one that they rescued on the raid, and thank goodness they did." Ariana's voice had become much more welcoming and her face had softened, her skin didn't seem to be pulled so tight over her bones.

"You left him there?!" She shouted and jumped out of the chair.  
She ran for the door but an arm was around her waist pulling her back.  
"Let me go! I have to help him."

She tried to squirm out of Julian's grasp but it was useless, he was so strong.  
She stopped struggling and let her body go limp. She felt emotionally drained, like she could barely handle to look at herself.  
She felt so empty, like she had betrayed the only person who had ever been there for her. Guilt pulled at her insides and for a second she thought she might throw up.

"Juliette you are not going anywhere." Ariana moved towards her "You are safe now and that is all that matters."  
She reached out her hand as if to brush her cheek. Juliette pulled away. She was angry and it boiled in her stomach.  
"I cant turn my back on him. How could you leave someone to rot in a place like that!? What kind of a person are you!?" she shouted at her. She wanted to run and hit her, slap her into seeing sense but she held back.  
"He is not my concern." She spoke over her shoulder.  
Her demeanour was ice cold, there was no care in her tone, no love. Juliette had always craved a loving motherly figure but she could tell this woman wasn't the type.

"He is the only reason I am alive today and one way or another I will get out of here to help him, with or without your help." She spat her words at Ariana, hoping she would taste the venom. Ariana simply walked away and the door closed with a click behind her.

Juliette was furious, why would anyone want to leave an innocent person chained in a cell in who knows what condition. She turned and glared at Julian, she was ready to take her anger out on him. When she saw his face her anger fell away. His eyes were soft and she could see that he understood her pain or he was at least trying to. He didn't speak, he just watched her with sad eyes.

"Let me go help him please. I don't know how I would carry on if I lost him."  
Her stomach dropped. She had never thought of what her life would have been like if Conrad didn't exist. She pushed the thought away now and stared up at Julian. Her eyes were begging him to do something. He glanced away from her and stared at the floor.

"Fine, but I will help you. Wait here."  
He marched through the hospital wing with purpose. He paused just before he stepped through the open door.  
"Oh… there are some clothes in the cupboard on the left… you might need them." He smiled at her and was gone.

Juliette dressed quickly. The jeans were tight and could have almost been too short. The top was bright blue and was slim fitting, she almost convinced herself that she had curves. She felt a stinging sensation as the fabric brushed over the cuts on her arms. For a second she wondered where she had gotten them from but then she remembered the feeling of wooden splinters slicing at her skin.  
She washed her face in the sink and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.  
Dark black bags hung under her eyes making their green colour fade and her normally glowing fair skin seemed dull and paper white. Her hair was a knotted mess and clumps had formed where crusty dried blood had accumulated. She looked awful. She tried to wash the blood away but her efforts were fruitless. She peeled the bandage that had been placed on her temple. An angry healing gash ran from the middle of her temple and vanished into her hairline.

"Now isn't the time to be admiring ones self, especially when they look like you do." An unfamiliar voice taunted from behind her.  
Juliette spun around ready to give him a piece of her mind, until she saw him. His glistening blonde hair reflected the light. He was fair and toned.

Julian had been handsome to look at with his soft features and rippling muscles but this boy seemed like he should be carved from stone. His face was all made up of perfect angles like she had never seen before. The sharp points of his jaw, the perfectly angled cheekbones and pursed lips. His eyes were a light grey-violet colour, she was certain she had never seen eyes like it. She was mesmerised by him.  
She couldn't find the words that she had wanted to say in return. She had never been good with boys. At school they had teased her for being small and frail and then they teased her for having a crazy father who never left the house. In fact, she had never been good with the girls at school, she didn't connect with them as she had only ever had her father.  
Conrad had been the only boy that was nice to her and he had been her only friend. Her heart twisted at the thought of him, she needed him to be alright, she could never forgive herself if anything happened to him.

"Its ok. I make up for you." He taunted.  
Juliette snapped out of her daze and frowned.  
"No amount of good looks can make up for your apparent lack of personal decency."  
He smirked. It only improved the way he looked, which irritated Juliette to no end.  
"She talks. I was beginning to think you were going to be terribly boring."  
He moved towards her, his muscles rippling under his long sleeved shirt. He was studying her with curious eyes.  
"My brother says you might be needing some help finding a friend of yours." His eyebrow raised as if he was waiting for some sort of confirmation.  
 _How is this boy Julian's brother, they're nothing alike._

"Conrad. I have to find him… he's the only family I have."

The boy studied her for a second longer and shrugged.  
"I am always keen for a fight." He smiled, it was a deadly smile and his eyes seemed to glow.  
"what do you mean?" she didn't understand.  
Did they often go and raid prisons and rescue prisoners?  
"Have they told you anything?" his eyebrow raised and a mischievous smile crossed his face.  
She shook her head she was too afraid to say anything.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the infirmary. She was too shocked to say anything at first but as he guided her further and further away she began to worry. She didn't know who these people were or what they were involved in, yet she was letting this boy drag her down a dark corridor  
"Wait.. where are you taking me?"

"Just trust me. There are some things that you need to know." He glanced back and smiled "Plus it's an opportunity to irritate my mother."

"What about Conrad we have to find him." She pleaded.

He stopped in front of a dark wooden door. There were symbols carved into the wood, but they were none that Juliette had ever seen before. He pushed on the door and despite its appearance it opened with ease.  
The room was bare except for a small golden table in the centre of the room. There were what appeared to be words carved into the stone floor. It was a language Juliette had never seen before, elaborate twists and turns, flicks and swishes. It was beautiful.  
The boy pulled her towards the small golden table and as they neared it Juliette could see that embedded in its centre was a large red crystal. A symbol was carved deep into the surface of the crystal

"I don't understand why I'm here."  
She was so confused and afraid but she tried to hide it. Her father had always taught her to never let anyone see fear that could be used against you.  
He stood staring at her, he seemed to be studying her with his eyes. He traced the symbol on the stone with his finger.

"The symbol signifies Divine Sight. It is supposed to show you everything one needs to see. From it you will understand about our world."

He gently took her hand. He wasn't as rough when he touched her this time. His hands were gentle but there were calluses on his fingers, at least he had that imperfection. Juliette suddenly realised she was taking too much comfort from the gentle touch of his hand and tried to pull away. His grip tightened slightly.

"Try not to block out the images, open your mind. Let the runes guide you." He whispered softly into her ear. Goosebumps appeared where his breath brushed her skin.  
She thought he was mad or maybe they were all delusional.

He pushed her hand down onto the smooth surface of the stone and suddenly images rushed into her head. She stopped seeing the empty room and the beautiful boy beside her, instead she was somewhere else entirely.

She was standing in a corridor watching three people walk towards her. She suddenly recognised the jet black hair and grey eyes. It was her father. He was walking alongside Ariana, they were much younger not much older than Juliette now. They were laughing. Walking on his left was a tall angelic looking woman. She had the same long curling brown hair and pale skin as Juliette. She and her father were holding hands. It was in that moment that she knew this was her mother.  
She tried to speak but something in her mind told her it would be pointless. She saw her parents skin cluttered with the same dark tattoos that she had seen on Julian and any skin that wasn't covered by black marks had faint silver scars.

A new image flashed before her. It was a time of war. There were hundreds of people all with dark black tattoos covering every slither of exposed skin. They wielded weapons of all shapes and sizes and were covered in dark splattering's of blood. There were bodies strewn across the floor. It was dark and fear seemed to hang thick like a cloud.  
She suddenly noticed that what they were fighting wasn't other people but creatures of sorts. They were dark and all bearing teeth, stingers and pincers of sorts. She understood that what her parents had been involved in was some type of cult or secret service, but she couldn't even begin to fathom what they were fighting against.

She felt overwhelmed but a faint sense of longing lingered in the back of her mind. Did she long for her parents? Or for the life they had seemed to have led, full of adventure, adrenaline and strength.

Suddenly the scene changed again. It was obvious that it was at the same time as the image before the same smoke was hanging in the air and there was the sound of screams in the background, but this one took place in house of sorts. She saw her father pick up a baby from a cradle and hold it to his chest.  
"My darling Juliette I will keep you safe. You shall be shielded from this world until you are ready, or until I cannot protect you any longer." His voice was raspy and deep, just as she remembered it to be.  
She saw him flee into the shadows clutching the baby in his arms.

The images faded and she felt a sudden dizziness come over her. Her brain felt so full of doubt and confusion. Her mind had been opened up to a world that she had never known existed. She collapsed onto the floor beside the table. She was breathing in short rapid breaths. She had so many unanswered questions.  
She felt a hand touch her arm and she saw the beautiful boy.

"What was that? What the hell is going on here!?" she couldn't hide her fear anymore.

She was afraid of who these people were, what they were going to do with her and what her father had thought she needed protecting from. She crawled backwards away from him.

"It's okay. We're the good guys. We protect the people in this city. We're Shadowhunters." He smiled down at her as though this was completely normal.

"Shadowhunters? That is what you call yourselves. What are you protecting us from? I saw… things… and my father."  
She couldn't think straight. The pictures in her head, her father, everything was too much.

"What you saw was a war between our people and Demons. Your father was one of us... a Shadowhunter. When your mother was killed he ran with you, to protect you."

She shook her head violently.

"Juliette, ask yourself would your father have joined a group of people if he thought they were crazy." His face was gentle, the smugness from when she had first laid eyes on him was gone.  
She shook her head. Her father was a practical man, logical, if he was involved there had to have been some truth behind it.

"How do you know all of this? How would you know anything about my father?" she whispered.

His eyes dropped from her face. He didn't respond he simply held out his hand to help her to her feet. She did not accept his hand she refused to be near him until he answered at least some of her questions.  
He dropped his hand and let out a sigh.

"Your father and my mother were parabatai. Partners in war. It is the closest bond between two people other than marriage. She already lost you both once, she doesn't want to do so again."

She stared at the ground. Her mind was racing. She had never believed such a place could exist, such people could exist let alone that her family was tied up in it. A world of warriors who fought the things that go bump in the night. She let out a faint nervous laugh.  
She had so many questions but she knew her mind couldn't handle anymore, she needed time to work through it all.

"We better get going Julian will be stressing."  
He held out his hand once again and helped her to her feet.  
She sighed in defeat.

"I don't even know your name."

"Damian." He flashed her a smile and walked out of the room, leaving her to follow.

They walked back to the infirmary in silence.  
Julian was pacing in the hallway outside the door to the infirmary.

"Where the hell did you take her!? I thought she might have run off." He shouted to Damian as they got closer.

"A gentleman never tells." He winked at Julian.

Juliette felt her face flush and her eyes widen in disbelief. Julian stared at her, his face was as shocked as hers.  
She glared at him and marched over to Julian and stood beside him. She wanted to be nowhere near that boy.  
"You did what Damian!? Mom is going to kill you!" he shouted.  
"We didn't do anything he took me to a stone." she spoke angrily.

"That could have killed her Damian! She's a mundane!" Julian waved his arms in the air

Damians face didn't even waver.

"Clearly she isn't a mundane she's still breathing. Glad I sorted that conundrum out for you." His voice was thick with sarcasm.

"I'm still here. What is a mundane?"

Juliette was annoyed that she was being ignored and that she had no idea what was really going on. What infuriated her even more was that no one really wanted to explain it to her.

"Mundanes are non-magic folk, ordinary, boring humans." Damian rolled his eyes as if her questions were irritating him.

She couldn't understand what had changed. A minute ago he was gentle and kind, now he was acting like a jerk, like nothing in the world could be more boring than putting up with her.

"God Damian why don't you just go and admit her into the Clave right now."

Julian and Damian clearly didn't see eye to eye. One brother was responsible and mature, the other carefree and liked to do exactly as he pleased whenever he wanted.  
Damian didn't seem to care what his brother thought or said. He shrugged it off apathetically and shoved his hands in his pockets.  
"Are we going to save this Conrad or not?" he said as he leaned up against the wall.

Julian's' eyebrows knotted together in a deep frown and his jaw set tightly. He said nothing more, he just threw a belt at Damian and walked away.  
Juliette stood there staring in after Julian. She wasn't sure whether to follow him or to stay here with Damian.  
She turned on him.

"Now why would you go and say a thing like that?" she scowled at him.  
She wanted to storm away but she wanted answers.  
He shrugged and his face looked smug.

"Don't act like you didn't want to. You haven't taken your eyes off me since we met."

She felt her face instantly flush. She wanted to hit him, but she knew it would hurt her more than it would hurt him. She felt like she had been given whiplash. He was so kind to her when they were alone, but now she felt like she was talking to a completely different person.

"I never realised a single person could be so arrogant!" she shouted at him and stalked off down the corridor.  
She suddenly realised she was wandering off in a house where she didn't know her way around, but how hard could it be to find the front door.  
The answer was, very hard indeed.

There was a maze of corridors, all that looked identical to the next. She had almost thought she was going around in circles but despite everything looking the same, nothing seemed familiar. If she hadn't been lost she felt like she could have enjoyed her walk through the endless corridors. The walls were home to beautifully coloured tapestries that displayed images of war, of beautiful men and women in tight black clothing wielding glass-like swords and arrows.

One tapestry caught her attention more than the others, it was twice her height and it took up metres of the wall. It was old and the colours seemed to be slightly faded. In the centre of the tapestry was an angel, but like no angel she had ever seen before. Its entire body seemed to be made up of different shades of gold. She jumped when she realised that the face of the angel had no eyes. Instead, every feather of its wings had a golden eye. It was beautiful and unnerving all at the same time. In one hand the angel held a golden chalice, adorned with red and green gems. In the other he held a sword that's blade was as long as his own body. At the angels' feet knelt a figure in black, she knew that this was supposed to be a shadowhunter but she couldn't find the significance.

"Would you like to know the story or do you plan on wandering around the institute for the rest of the night?" Damian was leaning against the corner of two adjoining corridors, staring at her with steady eyes.

"I want to go find Conrad. I can find someone else to tell me stories thanks." she was still angry with him for the way he had spoken to her.

"Well let's get a move on then."


	4. Chapter 4

Damian stood in the shadow of the old mansion. It seemed to have emptied out after their last raid on the place. He took a deep breath of the cold night air. He was growing impatient, waiting for Julian to return from searching the grounds.

"Why is this bloke so important to you?" he questioned.  
Her face softened and the worry faded for a small moment. He could see her mind was racing through all of her memories.  
"He has been my closest friend for as long as I can remember. He was the only one to care for me after my father died. He has shared all my favourite memories." A sad smiled crossed her face. He could tell she was scared that she might not find him tonight.  
He wanted to go over and comfort her but he held back.

"Damian… Do you think he will still be here?"

She was staring up at the mansion. Her eyes were studying the columns that supported the dark stone veranda. There were tall double windows that opened up onto the veranda, they were all dark, there was no light anywhere in the house.  
"We will soon find out."  
He saw the tiny slither of hope crumple under his words.  
He felt a pang in his stomach. He felt the sudden need to correct himself.  
"I promise we will find him, no matter where he is."  
Her face brightened slightly, she smiled faintly.

There was something about this girl that intrigued him, perhaps it was her innocence to a world so dark and dangerous. Perhaps it was her strong façade despite the pain that was so obvious but she still tried to hide. Maybe it was nothing more than she was beautiful.

It's true she wasn't as beautiful as some of the girls he had had before, but there was a soft gentleness to her. He didn't like the way he made her feel, uneasy and like a teenager again.

"Let's go."  
His brothers voice pulled him out of his trance. He hadn't even heard him approaching, which was unlike him. He frowned at nothing except himself. He had always been vigilant and completely focused when on a mission.  
 _That girl is a distraction._

"Stay close to us and for gods sake don't get killed." Julian addressed Juliette who simply nodded in reply.  
She was scared, Damian could tell that much, and so she should be. The world she had thought she knew was about to get turned upside down on her and there was nothing she could do about it. The shadows would no longer be just patches of darkness, she would learn that the shadows were where unimaginable things lay in waiting.

They quickly crossed the garden area up to the front door of the mansion. Damian and Julian glided silently up the stairs to the front door. They would have the element of surprise if it hadn't been for the small water buffalo following behind. She had managed to step on every stick, twig, dried leaf and bush in the garden.  
"Could you at least attempt to be quiet or would you prefer we ring the doorbell and announce our arrival?" Damian whispered angrily.  
Juliette glared at him in response.

The front door was busted in from when they had been here 3 nights ago, the house seemed to be empty. Damian pulled a seraph blade from its holster.  
"Gabriel" he whispered while slowly stepping over the debris that lay in the entry way. The sword lit up casting pure white light seemed to bounce up off the dust covering every surface. The light also revealed the dark patches of mould that clung to the walls.  
Damian glanced back and nodded for the others to follow.  
Footsteps in the thick dust were a sign that someone had been here recently, but how recently was another question. The smell of smoke and decay was thick, like they could have cut through it with a knife. He saw Juliette wretch at the smell and almost wanted to laugh. He was sure she hadn't expected demon blood to smell so rancid.

"Do you know where they took him?" Julian whispered to Juliette.  
She shook her head.  
"You're useful aren't you." Damian rolled his eyes at her.

They wandered through the darkness of the mansion, dodging pools of dark black ichor. Every door they had tried was locked and Julian decided there was no point in breaking them down before they knew they were alone.  
Damian pushed against a metal door that he had remembered seeing the first time they had raided the mansion. It slowly opened, emitting a loud creak. He gingerly stepped into the narrow corridor. He pressed his back against the wall and crept along it, watching, listening, waiting. He came across another solid metal door with the same barred window as the one that held Juliette.  
He peeped through the window. It was dark and smelt damp. Nothing. He checked 5 more doors before he could see the end of the tunnel. He had given up hope of finding Juliettes friend as soon as they entered the building.  
It was far too quiet for his liking. Most people would take quiet as a good sign but it was the type of quiet you found in a graveyard, a place where death was lingering.

He had just started to make his way back to the others when he heard it. A deep rumbling sound shook the wooden floorboards, they creaked under the strain.  
Damien's' eyes narrowed but before he had the chance to figure out where the sound was coming from there was a blast. A dark shadow burst from beneath the floorboards, sending Damian flying backwards. He rolled to face the creature that had emerged and his eyes widened with disbelief. He towered over Damian, his eyes glowed red.  
Damian called out to his brother desperately as he tried to crawl away from the dark figure.  
Julian was there in seconds, his seraph blade casting light over the shadow. They gasped.  
His body was scaled like a lizard, and two large stingers emerged from the centre of its back.  
"Sammael." Julian whispered.

A long muscular arm swiped furiously at Damian on the floor.  
Julian sprung, blade in hand and slashed at the extended hand. The creature was faster, with a flick of its ginormous hand Julian was sent hurtling into the wall. A loud crunch sounded out as his body hit the floor.  
Damian had scrambled to his feet and he was standing in front of Juliette. She could see his eyes kept moving to Julian who lay motionless, a trickle of blood had begun to form a pool beneath him.

"Shadowhunter. Give me the girl and I will give you what you have been looking for." His voice was deep enough to make their bones rattle.  
He pulled his other hand from behind him. He was clutching a limp body, his talons digging into its flesh. He dropped it at his feet but it didn't move in response.  
"CONRAD!" She screamed and tried to push past Damian. He pushed her back.

"Over my dead body Sammael." He spat furiously.  
A deep rumble escaped from the demons' mouth exposing rows of thick pointed teeth, like that of a lion.  
"As you wish Nephlim."

With ease Damian rushed forwards clutching a seraph blade in each hand. He swung each blade with precision and poise, each slicing chunks of flesh from the demons body. It wasn't enough. The demon retaliated with unstoppable force throwing Damian across the room. He landed in a crouch and steadied himself with one of the blades. Black blood dripped onto the wooden floor.  
Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Juliette was crouching behind an old couch a few metres away from where he was battling with Sammael. Her face was warped with terror.

He pounced, like a jungle cat, running at full speed and springing off a pile of broken floorboards. He sailed through the air raising his blade as he neared the demon, he thrust it down hard and the blade sunk deep into the flesh of its shoulder.  
Sammael let out a fearsome roar in response. He snatched Damian out of mid-air. Damian could feel his bones about to cave under the pressure of his grasp.  
One of the sharp stingers rose up above the demons head and aimed directly at Damian's exposed abdomen.  
Juliette saw what was about to happen. She scrambled from her hiding spot behind the tattered couch and ran as fast as her legs would carry her across the room.

"NO!"  
The creatures blood red eyes moved from Damian to Juliette. He threw Damian back into the floor metres behind Juliette. The wind was knocked out of him and he tried to call out to her but the words wouldn't come. The demon towered over Juliette now and his eyes burnt into her skin. From this close she could see that Conrad's skin was pale and ribbons of red blood decorated his skin.  
"Oh god… please don't be dead. Please." She whispered. She tried to move to run to him but the demon had swept her up in its grasp. Its talons dug into her skin and blood gushed from the punctures. She looked up just in time to see the burning red eyes of the creature. Its other hand went to grab at her. Damian rushed forwards and sliced at its outstretched hand with his sword, black ichor splattered across Juliette's face. The creatures face twisted in pain and then turned to rage. He turned on Damian and swung an arm to hit him. He dodged it with ease and jumped to slice at the demon again. He wasn't quick enough this time. A stinger smashed him against the wall and readied itself to strike. Pain shot through his arm where it connected with the wall. He couldn't hold onto the blade any longer, it dropped to the floor with a clang. He clutched at his arm and saw Juliette struggling against the demon's grasp.

"Damian watch out!"

He saw the stinger come hurtling towards him. He rolled out of the way and felt the pain grow in his arm as he did so.  
Juliette's necklace fell to the floor as she struggled.

He saw her face suddenly change from fear to excruciating pain. She let out a scream and at first he thought the demon had attacked her. He thought it might have embedded one of its stingers into her back where he couldn't see. He felt so helpless and weak. He didn't know how to help her, Sammeal was too strong for him to fight alone.  
Julian was still unconscious against the wall, Damian could see his chest rising and falling. At least he was alive. That was more than he could guarantee for Juliette.  
Suddenly, it seemed like her fragile body was torn in half and what remained was a creature that Damian had never seen before. She was beautiful, fierce, glowing and not at all human.  
Her eyes transformed to be completely blue, her hair was flowing brilliant fire red and held back from her face by a headband of thorns and flowers. Her skin was flecked with gold.  
Damian couldn't deny that she was beautiful but fear grew like a growing storm. He had no idea what she was or where her allegiances would lie. He could see from the look on her face that she was as scared as he was.

The demon looked taken aback, loosening his grip for a second. That was all Damian needed. He rushed forwards, clutching his blade in his good hand. He slid along the floor on his knees and sliced the demons forearm open like an envelope. Sammael dropped Juliette instantly and staggered backwards clutching his arm.  
He suddenly lashed out at them with his stingers.  
Juliette instinctively raised her arms to protect her face. As she did fire burst from her hands burning the flesh back to the bone.

She collapsed and attempted to hold herself up with her arms, her eyes looked weary and distant. A dribble of gold fluid escaped from her nose. She reached up and touched it with her fingers.

Damian felt the fear in his stomach as he limped over to the creature that had replaced Juliette.  
"Juliette?" he spoke softly.  
Her crystal blue eyes met his own. He could see the tears streaking her cheeks making the gold flakes glisten in dim light.  
"Damian please help me." Her voice was like music, sweet and magical.  
Damian stepped forwards and heard the tinkling of metal skittling across the floor. He saw Juliette's jewelled pendant under the toe of his boot. He picked it up and turned it over in his hand. There was an inscription laid into the gold along with a rune. He recognised it as the rune for protection.  
'My dearest Juliette, may you never let this pendent stray far from your heart.'  
He studied the stones that laid into the pendant brushing his thumb gently over each one. All he could figure was that whoever had given this pendant to her didn't want her to take it off.  
Damian glanced up at her and gingerly approached. He brushed her fiery red hair away from her neck. His fingers felt scorched where he touched her but he didn't pull away. He fastened the necklace around her neck and as the pendent touched her skin she returned to the innocent brown haired girl he had first met. Her clothes were singed and blood was dripping from her nose. There were deep cuts across her arm and shoulder where the demon's talons at slashed her skin.  
She let out a gasp and she slumped into the floor.


End file.
